Excursions

Our excursion started punctually at 8:30 a.m. at the Tegut parking lot in Witzenhausen. In perfect autumn weather, we made our way to the potash region on the border between Hesse and Thuringia - a landscape characterized by impressive mining facilities and at the same time by the consequences of decades of raw material extraction.

Our first stop took us to the foot of the imposing Monte Kali, which can be seen from afar at a height of around 200 meters. There we met representatives of the citizens' initiative "For a Werraland worth living in", which is campaigning together with BUND e.V. against the increasing salinization of the Werra. In a lively discussion, we learned how badly the region is suffering from the ecological consequences of potash mining - and how much effort and perseverance is needed to bring about change. The report on the initiative's lawsuit against the K+S Group, with which it is pushing for more environmental protection and sustainable action, was particularly impressive.

A delicious snack awaited us for lunch: freshly cooked soup from the ÖX organic farm in Frankershausen. Whether vegetarian or with meat - it tasted great and gave everyone new energy. Drinks - hot and cold - were also provided so that we could start the second part of the day with renewed energy.

In the afternoon, we continued on to Merkers, where we were welcomed by Lukas Bangert, Regional Advisor at K+S. In his introductory talk, we learned exciting details about the company's products and their importance for agriculture. Then perhaps the most spectacular experience of the day began: the trip underground to what was once the largest potash mine in the world.

Trucks descended to a depth of over 800 meters - into a fascinating world of salt, rock and technology. On a tour of around 21 kilometers, we gained an insight into the geological structures, the mining processes and the day-to-day work in the mine. The temperatures of between 21 and 28 degrees Celsius provided a real "tropical climate underground" and made the tour an unforgettable experience.

We finally arrived back in Witzenhausen at around 6 p.m. - tired but enthusiastic about a day full of exciting impressions, intensive discussions and new insights into the connection between business, the environment and responsibility.

The excursion with 30 participants started on Saturday, January 27 at 8:00 a.m. in Witzenhausen at the Tegut and our first stop was the Milchmuhseum in Willingen, where the plant manager of the farmer's dairy, Andreas Siegert, told us in detail about the concept and history of the dairy and showed us films of the production processes while we tasted dairy products. He then gave us a tour of the newly built dairy and gave us an insight into the production halls.

After a hike, we stopped for lunch at the Graf Stolberg Hütte above Willingen and enjoyed one of the most beautiful views over the Sauerland region with wonderful weather, good food and drinks. The return journey took us via Waldeck, where we had our last stop of the day at the Bio Agrar Meyer farm, which has been supplying the Upländer Bauernmolkerei dairy since 2014. They keep 120 dairy cows and farm 280 hectares. We were given an interesting tour of the barn by the farm manager, who is also on the board of the cooperative, and were given a view of the dairy from the side of the supplying farms. After an eventful day, we returned to Witzenhausen at around 6 pm.